1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recognition apparatus and method for recognizing input information.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are techniques wherein a host computer is connected to a recognition apparatus via a transmission channel, the host computer performs input of image information and display/editing of the results of recognition, and the recognition apparatus performs segmenting of character and symbol images from the image information, and recognition of segmented characters and symbols.
The above-described conventional techniques, however, have the following disadvantages, since image information is transmitted from the host computer, to which an image has been input, to the recognition apparatus via the transmission channel, and the recognition apparatus performs segmenting of characters/symbols from the image information.
(1) The recognition apparatus must include a memory having a large capacity in order to store image information for performing segmenting of characters/symbols.
(2) A long transmission time is needed because of the large amount of data included in the image information transmitted from the host computer to the recognition apparatus.
(3) Since segmenting of characters/symbols is performed within the recognition apparatus, a high-speed processor is needed in order to perform the segmenting processing.
In performing character recognition on a text in a language having many kinds of characters, which are to be distinguished and recognized such as the Japanese language, there are techniques wherein processing is performed in parallel using a plurality of identical processing units in order to increase the speed of the extraction of characteristics, and recognition processing.
An explanation will new be provided of such a technique with reference to FIG. 18, In FIG. 18, an input image is separately stored in storage units 1, 2 and 3 (elements 91-93). Subsequently, three characteristics extraction units 1, 2 and 3 (elements 94-96) extract characteristics data in parallel, and input the extracted data to a characteristics data storage unit 97. Subsequently, three identification units 1, 2 and 3 (elements 98-100) perform identification in parallel, and sorting is finally performed in element 101.
The above-described conventional techniques, however, have the disadvantage of relatively high cost, since the technique must include a plurality of identical processing units.
Recognition algorithms used in character recognition have included techniques emphasizing the extraction of characteristics wherein complicated processing is performed at the stage of the extraction of characteristics, and the identification function, applied to the extracted characteristics to effect actual recognition of the character, has a simple form.
The above-described conventional techniques, however, have the disadvantage that a very long recognition time is needed because of the complicated processing at the stage of the extraction of characteristics, and complicated dedicated circuitry is needed in order to execute the processing at a high speed.
Among techniques emphasizing the identification function are techniques wherein the degree of similarity is calculated neglecting higher-order terms of eigenvalues, and only main components are analyzed, to shorten the time in recognition processing.
The above-described conventional techniques, however, have the disadvantage of decreasing the rate of recognition unless a particular countermeasure, such as increasing the number of dimensions of the characteristic vector or the like, is taken, since these techniques emphasize the recognition function based on the analysis of main components.